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Visitor & Volunteer Guidelines

The difference between a school visitor and a school volunteer generally lies in the nature of their involvement, the duration of their presence, and the level of interaction with students. Here are some key distinctions and our school protocols for each.

School Visitor:

1. Purpose of Visit: Visitors typically come to the school for specific, often short-term purposes. This might include attending meetings, observing classrooms, attending school events, or dropping off/picking up students.

2. Duration: The visit is usually brief and limited to a single day or a few hours.

3. Interaction: Visitors usually have minimal or no direct interaction with students. Their visit might involve observing rather than participating.

4. Background Checks: Visitors usually do not require background checks or extensive vetting since their interaction with students is limited.

5. Examples: Parents attending a parent-teacher conference, guest speakers, school board members, and delivery personnel.

Visitor Protocols:

We welcome parents and visitors on campus, however, we need to know who is on campus at all times. Therefore we do require that visitors and parents sign in at the front office and obtain a name badge before coming on campus during the school day.  Between the hours of 8:15 am - 2:40 pm, all school gates will remain locked to provide a safe and secure environment for our students and staff.  During these hours, parents and visitors should not enter through the gates and proceed directly to the office.  Visitors will need to sign in and obtain a visitor badge. These are all precautionary measures to protect your children. 

Before school between 8:00 - 8:15 a.m., parents may enter the campus to walk their children to their classroom’s line on the blacktop or hallways.  If you would like to speak with your child’s teacher before or after school, please make an appointment with them first.  Once the 8:15 a.m. bell rings and school begins, we ask that all parents make their way to exit the campus so that our entrances can be secured at that time. 

Children not enrolled in the school may not come to visit. Parent observations of classrooms are scheduled by appointment only and are 20 minutes in length. Observations are done in the current child’s class only and are accompanied by an administrator or designee. Call the office to schedule an appointment. 

School Volunteer:

1. Purpose of Visit: Volunteers come to the school to actively participate in and contribute to various school activities and programs. This can include helping in classrooms, assisting with school events, attending field trips, or providing support in the library or cafeteria.

2. Duration: Volunteering typically involves a regular commitment, which might be for several hours a day, multiple days a week, or over an extended period.

3. Interaction: Volunteers often have direct and ongoing interaction with students, assisting them with tasks, mentoring, or supervising.

4. Background Checks: Due to their frequent and direct contact with students, volunteers usually undergo background checks and may need to complete specific training or orientation sessions.

5. Examples: Parents helping with reading programs, community members coaching sports teams, and individuals assisting with school clubs or extracurricular activities.

Volunteer Protocols:

We love our parent volunteers! Clifford and Redwood City School District (RCSD) welcomes volunteers and partners in a systematic process to ensure the health and safety of our students. Over many years, volunteers have assisted with our school programs and our collective efforts to educate our students in academic, social, and emotional opportunities. School campuses and the Department of Human Resources have an established and thorough process to ensure safety and communicate expectations to our volunteers.

Volunteer clearance is processed through our district office - we are not allowed to clear parents here at school. The process of becoming a cleared volunteer can take a few weeks, therefore, please submit your paperwork several weeks in advance of when you'd like to volunteer. Once you are cleared as a parent volunteer, you do not have to renew your application each year.

Thank you for helping us ensure the safety and effective involvement of all individuals who come onto the school campus.  Please contact your child’s teacher, the PTO, or your room parent coordinator for more information on specific ways to volunteer.